Here’s what our place looked like…about 6 weeks ago. Still changing a lot, but loving what we’ve got so far. Warmed our house with a festive American brunch and new friends. Blessed with great weather.

First, kitchen/table/windows and Timo’s cousin! The windows open up and it’s a french balcony. Lovely to open these, really brings the outside in to the whole apartment. Only thing that could make it better is a balcony…maybe someday! Those chairs you might recognize from an earlier post and the table we got at a thrift store and refinished with a light gray stain.

Living room! Still plenty to do here…especially replacing the plastic stepstool that we use as a side table. Did you notice that the desk looks familiar though? Maybe brings you back to 6th grade or so…a fun find at Van Dijk and Ko.

Alternate view of the living room. That cool tray and the side table are from a great design warehouse store, Loods 5. The blue chair is actually an old Gispen chair we had recovered in blue fabric and we’re enjoying it a lot. Much more comfortable then it would let on…

Brunch! Do you like the dishes? Do they remind you of eating in Chinese restaurants? I hope so

Shortly after returning from Italy we had a very very special houseguest! It was such a joy to have Jordan come to visit – lots of biking and exploring and catching up. Gaa that was so fun, can’t wait till the next visit…

Okay, so I stole some of these pictures off his facebook, but I just think this one is fantastic!

Had a great dinner/evening with Yvette too! Very fun for people to meet each other and enjoy delicious Dutch cheese at the same time

Albert Cuyp market for some stroopwaffels

A great trip to the Rijksmuseum and museumplein. Can you believe how lucky we were with the weather???

We also got to the Hague and the wonderful Maurithuis museum. Plus this fantastic beer bar with great Belgian selections, and a terrace on a boat where you could sit and waste away the afternoon

And how could I forget – lunch at Philips!!! The highlight of any trip to the Netherlands.

Maybe you can tell, we have similar photography styles:

Whew I’ve been the worst blogger! Life has been intensely fun lately, so I’ve just got to share some happenings. Due to some electricity conversion issues, unfortunately I don’t have as many photos as I would like, but one of the highlights of my September was meeting my dear friends Anna and Renat in Verona, Italy for a long weekend. It was pretty much heaven – gorgeous weather, beautiful scene, and most importantly a chance to be together good friends.

I arrived on a short flight from Amsterdam in the early afternoon and took a walk through the city on my own. After cold foggy bike rides to work in Amsterdam, the warm weather and golden afternoon light made for a perfect stroll and some good picture taking opportunities. There’s also something so intoxicating navigating a new/foreign city by myself, just taking time and exploring, with my own thoughts. I haven’t done enough of that in my life and I plan on making it a priority.

Lots of “I can’t believe I’m here right now” kind of thoughts flying through my head. A 2.5 hour journey from my home to this? Incredible.

After my walk sat outside at a little cafe by the hotel and had a spritz! It’s aperol (bitters), club soda, orange, and some prosecco. Refreshing and light and I couldn’t imagine anything better for an evening al fresco. No more pictures of that evening yet, but Anna and Renat arrive and we had a great dinner outside in one of the smaller open squares in the city. Pure magic.

The next day we woke up early to catch a bus to Lago di Garda and Mt. Baldo. The picture on the bus had me believing that I would be going to a land where gondalas are carried up the mountain by seagulls, but alas.

It was a bit hazy that day, so unfortunately we didn’t get the magnificent view that you sometimes get, but it was pretty spectacular none the less. We got off the bus in the town of Malcesine and went right to the boarding area for the gondalas.

Here’s my “tourist” look – pretty convincing right?

Up we go!

At the top, it really felt like we were in a cloud. There were plenty of trails and look what we saw! Baby animals OF COURSE!  I think I have more pics of this adorable little family than anything else on my camera.

What is one of the only things that could make this trip better you ask? Well, we just happened upon some…ALPACAS! Picked up a gorgeous alpaca scarf at the stand as well, perfect for the frigid Dutch weather…

Anna made some new friends – how cute is this?

And some cows…why must I take so many animal photos?? It’s some kind of problem I think. You can see how we’re really in the clouds – cool, fresh, and still, with only the sounds of cow and goat bells in the distance. So pleasant.

After we got down the mountain, spent some time enjoying Malcesine. Walked down to the lake…

I think we stayed down here for about an hour, just soaking up all the beauty of this spot. Enjoyed a spritz on the harbor. Seeing these pictures really brings back that feeling of when a moment lasts forever, the temperature is perfect and you’re basking in all of this beauty, sharing with such great friends. TAKE ME BACK THERE!

Then a bus ride and nap on the way back to Verona. Once we got back we changed and walked to the other end of the city for an authentic northern Italian meal with fantastic valpolicella reds at Al Duomo. I’ve got a shot of us waiting on the street outside for a seat and of the perfect handwritten menu and then my camera battery just gave up. Oh how I wish I could have captured the beautiful food we enjoyed. Let’s just say Italy is NOT so good for my waistline…good to be back in the land of bad restaurant food and good vegetarian cooking at home.

Overall it was a great trip and just so special to catch up with Anna and Renat. Very tough to say goodbye, but so so good to think of all the incredible adventures ahead.

“…a politician’s attitude to evolution, however peripheral it might seem, is a surprisingly apposite litmus test of more general inadequacy. This is because unlike, say, string theory where scientific opinion is genuinely divided, there is about the fact of evolution no doubt at all. Evolution is a fact, as securely established as any in science, and he who denies it betrays woeful ignorance and lack of education, which likely extends to other fields as well. Evolution is not some recondite backwater of science, ignorance of which would be pardonable. It is the stunningly simple but elegant explanation of our very existence and the existence of every living creature on the planet. Thanks to Darwin, we now understand why we are here and why we are the way we are. You cannot be ignorant of evolution and be a cultivated and adequate citizen of today.”

From The Washington Post

Probably a similar view to my east coast friends – hope everything is going well with the hurricane, stay safe!

A bit of it captured on film, so here goes. One of the things about living in Europe that I have to get used to is the weekends. The market and most of the stores (even downtown!) are closed on Sundays (oh yeah, and before 9 and after 6 on weekdays). How does anyone get stuff done? Where’s my 24/7/365 super Walmart complete with the lowest prices, pharmacy, heck, even a money lender? Yeah – not here. Thank god! This is tough because you cram in a lot on Saturdays, but it also means you get to relax (or rather, do laundry and clean your house, in my case) on Sundays and not be out running errands. It will definitely take some getting used to – as in no more “I want it now!” But I think that’s a good thing.

This weekend is another crazy weekend in Amsterdam due to the Uit Markt, the opening for the Arts Season in the city. In three locations; Leidseplein, Vondelpark, and Museumplein there are a bunch of stages set up with great performances from all different types of performing artists. Also, there are a ton of booths with friendly people and plenty of information about different cultural opportunities – all of the clubs, theatres, orchestras, etc. get to talk about their upcoming season, and the museums get to show off what special exhibits they have coming up too. All in all a pretty awesome time.

I learned about a ton of interesting events happening here in the city, and we even bought discounted tickets to a few things coming up – a Bartok marathon, some experimental contemporary music, and a dance performance. Will report back on how they go. But also learned about a ton of great stuff happening around the city. Consider this a marketing campaign for you to come visit me in Amsterdam!

1. 10euro tickets to performances at the Concert Gebow and Muziek Gebow – everything from classical to jazz to contemporary and beyond! (for those under 30…)
2. Intimate chamber music performances at one of the beautiful historic canal houses right near my apartment.
3. New temporary exhibit at the Stedelijk Museum at Museumplein (they’re currently renovating and I didn’t realize that they still had activities), plus open till 10pm on Thursdays
4. Every Friday night the Van Gogh museum turns into a lounge – with DJs and drinks and stylish people of course
And much more of course – so you really must come and visit!

Saturday started off with some brunch: Frittata with tomatoes, spring onions, basil, and goat cheese

Adventures in the Albert Cuyp market, buying some spices and fabric for a new little project. And plenty of kijken, kijken, niet koepen (that’s, looking and looking and not buying – really one of my favorite activities!)

A stroopwafel to share!

That we weren’t allowed to take into the shoe store (I’ve never seen stroopwafels vilified so…)

And on to the Uit Markt! That’s the Rijksmuseum in the background, there were plenty of puddles and umbrellas, but everyone seemed to be in a festive mood.

Fun and funky jazz:

This is a really cool concept – Grape District Wine Bar. A traveling wine bar for events and festivals where they give you a lot of choices and great information about the wines.

Tastes great underneath an umbrella too:

Well dressed woman at the library booth!

Wonderful evening with a sweet colleague, Yvette! Timo made this ridiculously delicious pea and mint soup from a recipe on Jamie Oliver’s ipad app. It’s fresh and easy and especially good with the feta and ciabatta croutons on the top. Yay! He also made some pizza with emmentaler, red onions, mushrooms, and ricotta. I need to do some extra exercise this weekend….

It started out a bit sunny, plenty of clouds, but also a gorgeous reflection on the canals. As I continued my 15 minute bike ride, the sky got progressively darker. 3 minutes before the office, the wind picked up and you could hear thunder. And then it was dark enough to see some really spectacular lightning. Everyone visibly sped up on their bikes to reach the office before the rain! Just as I was locking up and running to the front door, the rain really started.

Now I’m sitting at my desk in a big glass tower and staring out over the IJ River, watching the magestic lightning and rain. Sure, this might get old, but for now, I’m absolutely loving this Dutch weather. The crazy storm outside just seems to calm me down. To take a moment and appreciate the magnificent storm.

The New Yorker profile on Sheryl Sandberg, from a July issue that Leesie gave to me to take on the plane (and I’ve only now gotten around to reading…) is just ridiculously inspiring. I kind of wish it was less focused on the fact that she is a female and more focused on the fact that she’s a very powerful leader and should be an inspiration to any young person in tech or business, male or female. Her leadership skills and style just fit so well in a dynamic and fast moving environment, filled with passionate and ambitious people. Lots to learn!

A quote from her graduation speech at Barnard: “Don’t let your fears overwhelm your desire. Let the barriers you face—and there will be barriers—be external, not internal. Fortune does favor the bold. I promise that you will never know what  capable of unless you try. You’re going to walk off this stage today and you’re going to start your adult life. Start out by aiming high. . . . Go home tonight and ask yourselves, What would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it!”

Not bad inspiration for the day!

and maybe some salt, pepper, basil, and good parmesan cheese.